Im looking for some guidance on the order I should read the books. I know :border patrol and :SCI make references to, and sometimes playoff events in the main AGU series but I seem to be having a hard time finding a good list. I just want to know when to read the spin-off series while reading the main series.

Normally, a spin-off series will follow the end of the main series or a previous spin-off series. That's not so with the AGU books, so there's no chronological list available. I tried to create one once, but found it to be an impossible task. I decided that I should create a Gantt chart, but I just haven't found the time.

In an effort to bring some sanity to the situation, for the sake of my own sanity, I've tried to keep the books separated by mission focus, and by having very little cross-reference between the books even though they are occurring in roughly the same time period.

Perhaps it would help to understand why there are three concurrent series. I was never able to interest any publisher in the AGU series, so in 2007 I decided to self-publish. Although not one publisher in all of North America showed the slightest interest in the first novel, A Galaxy Unknown, sci-fi readers embraced it from the beginning and kept asking for more. During all those years when I was sending out manuscripts and query letters to publishers in the U.S. and Canada, I continued to write new novels in the AGU series because friends with whom I had shared the first AGU novel kept telling me they loved it. I guess the big publishers don't have Sci-Fi fans working in their acquisitions departments.

Anyway, in April of 2011 I released the seventh and last completed novel in the AGU series. At that time all seven novels in the series were listed among the top twenty best-selling novels in Amazon's Top 100 Sci-Fi list. I guess having seven best-selling novels makes a difference in the minds of publishers and agents so for a change they began contacting me. An editor with Random House asked me to submit a proposal for a new trilogy like the AGU series, but with a different cast of characters. So I created very basic outlines for three novels, wrote a few of chapters for the first novel in the proposed trilogy, and sent it off to the editor. In the meantime I started on Book 8 of the AGU series.

Random House offered me a contract to write the Sydnee Marcola trilogy, but we couldn't agree on contract terms so I thanked them for their interest and continued as a self-publisher. I liked the idea for the Sydnee Marcola spin-off and didn't want to simply drop it, so I wrote the three novels I had proposed. All have been best-sellers. The AGU:SCI book was an experiment to see if readers would embrace a novella format because I could produce twice as many novellas each year, but I've learned that sci-fi fans want LONG stories. It's amusing because the AGU:SCI novella, at 51,000 words is longer than most Harlequin novels, which many female readers absorb like air.

In order to keep the chronology straight in my own mind, every single chapter in all of the AGU books is preceded by a date. Perhaps that can give you a reference that would help.

In my opinion, a new reader would be best served starting off with books 1-7 in the AGU primary series. Since they're the ground work for most of where the stories and advances are in the series now.AGU book 1 was the hook that kept me coming back for more, and I have yet to regret that purchase.

AGU books 1 & 2 set the stage. We learn about our heroes, their world, and the first major hurdles in their way.AGU book 3 was the needed seeds for huge events that happened in AGU book 4, and has helped shape the galaxy as it is now.AGU book 4 was where we met Vyx from SCI for the first time, and saw the initial formation of his team.

I could go on, however it'd be spoiling the potential journey new readers could enjoy.

After AGU books 1-7, Border Patrol 1 & 2 would fit in nicely. SCI book 1 kind-of requires AGU books 6, 7, and 9. At least I think it was book 6, I can't fully remember.

In general, Thomas is very good about having some of the characters give quick recaps on where something came from. They're not specific since the characters are having dialogue as if they were just chatting.

Thank you very much for the response. I figured if I could not find a list I would just go with publication order but I didn't think about the dates at the beginning of each chapter (Doh!) I don't know if that will end up being publication order, but I will check... Thank you very much.

I would actually recommend going in the order it was published. Or you can read books AGU 1-9 without really spoiling much. Then read the first two BP books (and I think u can read SCI #1 too). Then I would suggest AGU 10, BP 3, and then AGU 11th that order. That's how I would recommend to a first time reader, though I just read all the AGU books, then BP books and SCI when rereading.